Cable release mechanism for cameras



MarCh 1953 G. SWINNERTON CABLE RELEASE MECHANISM FOR CAMERAS Filed Aug. 8, 1950 INVENTOR. SWI NN ERTON GERALD Patented Mar. 24, i953 2,632,337 CABLE RELEASE MECHANISM FOR CAMERAS Gerald Swinnerton,

National Camera partnership St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Works, St. Louis, Mo., aco- Application August 8, 1950, Serial No. 178,263

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to release mechanisms for cameras and more specifically to the flexible type of release mechanism known as a cable release, the predominant object of the invention being to provide a cable release which is of such improved construction and arrangement that the manufacture of the cable release is simplified and the el'ficiency and durability thereof is increased.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of the improved cable release mechanism of this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, longitudinal sectional View of the cable release mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4. is an enlarged cross-section taken on line ll of Fig. 2.

Fig. is an enlarged, fragmentary longitudinal section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing, wherein is shown for purposes of illustration, merely, one embodiment of the invention, A designates the improved cable release mechanism generally. The cable release mechanism A comprises an outer cable I which is in the general form of a coil spring the turns of which contact with each other, there being provided at one end of the outer cable l a portion la which is of increased diameter, and at the opposite end thereof a similar portion lb of increased diameter. At one end of the outer cable I an upper sleeve 2 is provided, this upper sleeve having a stem 3 at one end thereof which is of reduced diameter relative to the main body portion of the upper sleeve and said stem is externally screwthreaded. The upper sleeve 2 is attached to the outer cable I and said attachment is attained by screwing the screwthreaded stem 3 of said upper sleeve into the enlarged portion la of the outer cable 1 until the outermost coil of said outer cable abuts against the shoulder 2dof the upper sleeve 2, as is shown in Fig. 2. At the opposite end of the outer cable I a lower sleeve 4 is provided which has extended from one end thereof a, stem 5 that is similar to the stem 3 of the upper sleeve 2 in that it is of reduced diameter relative to the body portion of the lower sleeve and is externally screwthreaded. The lower sleeve 4 is attached to the outer cable I by screwing the stem 5 thereof into the enlarged portion lb of said outer cable until the outermost coil of said outer cable l abuts against the shoulder 5a of the lower sleeve 4, as is shown in Fig. 2. The lower sleeve 4 at its opposite end is provided with a second screwthreaded stem 6 which serves as a means for attaching the cable release mechanism to a camera for use therewith.

The upper sleeve 2 is externally screwthreaded at its outer end, and serewthreadedly mounted on said screwthreaded portion is a pull button 1 which is provided with an annular flange l. The pull button I is provided with an opening 8 through which a push pin 9 is extended, said push pin having a push button In mounted thereon at the outer end thereof and being guided for longitudinal movement by the wall of the opening 8 of said pull button 1. The push pin 9 is provided with an enlarged portion 9 whose upper face normally abuts against a face la within the pull button 1, there being a. return coil spring H which embraces a portion of said push pin 9 and one end of said coil spring contacts with the lower face of the enlarged portion 9' of the push pin 9 while the opposite end of said coil spring contacts with an annular shoulder l2 located within the upper sleeve 2. At the end thereof that is located within the upper sleeve 2 the push pin 9 is provided with a. stem l3 which is of reduced diameter when compared with the body portion of said push pin, and preferably said stem is tapered at its outer end, as is shown to good advantage in Fig. 5.

The cable release mechanism of this invention includes an inner, flexible cable M which is made in accordance with the outer cable I, as previously explained herein, and one end of said inner cable is attached to the push pin 9, such attachment being accomplished by screwing the upper end of the spirally formed inner cable onto the stem E3 of said push pin, preferably the stem I3 is smooth but because of the relative diameters of the stem .13 and the opening through the inner cable, the stem being slightly oversize, the attachment of these parts is very secure. The cable release mechanism A includes a plunger l5 which normally is disposed within the lower sleeve 4, and said plunger is provided with a stem it similar to the stem it of the push pin 9. The lower end portion of the inner cable I4 is secured to the plunger H5 in the same manner that the upper end portion of said inner cable is secured to the push pin 9; that is to say said lower portion of said inner cable is screwed onto said stem it of said plunger. Here, also, the stem I6 is slightly oversize relative to the discretion of the opening through the inner cable and as a result of this arrangement the attachment between said parts is rendered very secure.

The cable release or the present invention functions as did flexible cable releases of the same general type heretofore employed, such operation being well known to persons familiar with the art to which this invention relates. The important difference between the structure of this invention and these earlier cable releases is in the manner of securing the outer and inner cables of 'thestructu'fe of "the present invention to other parts of "the structure by screwing said outer and inner cables to said other parts of the structure. By so attaching the outer and inner cables to other parts of the-structure a very secure structure is provided which is much more durable than the insecure crimped or soldered arrangements heretofore employed;

1 claim:

1. A cable release mechanism fora camera comprising a flexible outer cable of spiral'formation the coils of which contact one with another to provide a substantially closed enclosing sheath, "elements at the opposite ends of. said outer-cable to which said outer cable is attached, said elements at opposite ends of said outer cable being provided with screwthreaded portions on which opposite end portions of said outer cable are spirally threaded, an inner cable of spiral formation which is disposed within said outer cable a-nd-ismOVable longitudinally with respect thereto, and elements at the opposite ends of said inner c'able having smooth stems to which said inner cable is attached by being spirally threaded thereon said stems being of slightly greater diameter than the inner diameter of said inner cable.

2. 'A'b'able "release -mechanism for a camera.

comprising a flexible outer cable of spiral romation the coils or which contact one with-another thereon, "said stems to provide a substantially closed enclosing sheath, elements at the opposite ends of said outer cable to which said outer cable is attached, said elements at opposite ends of said outer cable being provided with spirally grooved portions on which opposite end portions of said outer cable are spirally threaded, an inner cable of spiral formation which i's disposed within's'aid outer cable and is "movable longitudinally with "respect thereto, and elements at the opposite ends of said inner cable having smooth stems provided with tapered outer-end portions to which said inner cable is attached by being spirally threaded being of slightly greater diameter thanthe inner diameter of said inner cable said'leme'nts'at the opposite ends of said inner cablecomp-risi-ng a push pin to which one end of said inner cable is attached and a plunger to which the oppcsite end of said inner cable is attached.

GERALD :SWINNERTON.

REFERENCES CITED The'follo'wing references are of record in the file of this patent:

"UNITED STATES PATENTS 

